Joining Ceremony
The D'ni wedding ceremony, taking place during the latter part of the Fifth Day (the Day of Joining) of the whole marriage process. It was held in another Age, ideally a Private Age (Upper classes owned Family Ages), but since commonly this was the case, the ceremony took place on "Marriage Ages". All family was expected to attend, as were fellow Guild members. Procession The core of the ceremony was a long aisle and a triangular podium, flanked by two groups, each representing the groom and the bride. The groom and the bride each wore the bracelets they had been given at birth and the Ceremony of Readiness and wore in ceremonies. They each walked through their respective family and friends and approached their side of the podium, symbolizing how the family circle made the individual who they came to be, in order to present them to their spouse. The priestess usually stood on the third side of the podium. Then the father of the bride removed her bracelets and give them to the groom, representing the giving of the bride's purity and adulthood to the groom, and a short speech often followed. The same procedure followed, by the father of the groom. Both parents expressed their blessings upon their children and all those present. Symbolically, the bride and groom then switched sides to represent an acceptance of all the family and friends of their partner. The couple then handed all four bracelets to the priestess. The priestess led the couple through their commitments to one another and Yahvo, while the couple placed their hands upon the podium. They recited aloud to the priestess their promises to one another, and then promises to Yahvo. The priestess usually pointed out that marriage was a reminder of taygahn and that their love should always be a representation of their love for Yahvo. Following the commitments, the priest placed two new, and larger, bracelets upon the the left wrist of the groom, and the right wrist of the bride. The new bracelets represented both the former purity and maturity bracelets their spouse wore, and how each was responsible to keep their spouse pure and knowledgeable of good and evil. The hands of the bride and groom were wrapped together with a tight cord, completely covering wrist and hand. The priest then placed a ring upon the pinky of each "free" hand, reminding of the entire ceremony that took place on the fifth day. The priestess usually removed herself from the podium, and the couple took her place. Together they walked down the aisle between the two groups, to the far end of the aisle where a cup or glass of wine had been placed. They knelt and prayed together, and then each drank. Then the two sides of the hall merged into one group, often with great celebration, considered now joined A celebration followed with dancing and music, and families feeding the attendees. The couple still kept their hands united throughout the night, joined in the eyes of man and Yahvo, symbolizing the somewhat troublesome times of their future relationship. Tradition was that after the celebrations, the couple embraced as the priestess touched a Linking Book to "vacation" or "honeymoon"-type Ages. These vacations were usually short. category:D'ni culture